Vaqueros Take Down Cuesta 75-65 on the Road, Improve to 5-1 in WSC

By AJ Nagbe

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Vaqueros took down Cuesta 75-65 on Wednesday night, extending their win streak to five games and improving to 5-1 in Western State Conference play.

Kaylee Lawson scored 21 points on 7-of-20 shooting, including two three-pointers and five free throws. Khaya Jackson added 14 points off the bench, while Siena Hoban contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Milan Jackson chipped in 11 points, and Aariah Fox grabbed nine rebounds as the Vaqueros used a balanced attack to take down the Cougars on the road.

The game was tied 20-20 after the first quarter before Santa Barbara took control in the second, outscoring Cuesta 24-19 to take a 44-39 halftime lead. The Cougars cut into the deficit in the third quarter, outscoring the Vaqueros 18-15, but SBCC pulled away in the fourth with a 16-8 run to seal the victory. The Vaqueros shot 41.9% from the field and dominated at the free-throw line, converting 16-of-18 attempts at 88.9% compared to Cuesta's 3-of-7 performance. Both teams finished with 11 turnovers, but Santa Barbara's balanced scoring and clutch free-throw shooting proved to be the difference.

Coach Sandrine Krul emphasized the significance of the victory following the 75-65 win. "We won to round out the first half, and we went 5-1," Krul said. "We have Moorpark on Saturday. It's for first place because they are 5-0, and if we can take them down, we are tied for first."

Krul praised the team's fourth-quarter execution, which proved to be the difference in the game. "The great news of this game is our fourth quarter. We played so great, we got stops," she said. "They only scored eight points in the fourth quarter. We've been off for a week, we haven't had a game in a week, and to score 75 points, our defensive intensity leads to offensive freedom."

She highlighted the team's toughness in battling through adversity. "I'm really proud of our grittiness. Tonight was a gritty game, and we didn't have everyone 100% because some people are fighting the flu, and we were a little shorthanded tonight," Krul said. "They're gutting it out. Credit to Cuesta, they played so hard for 40 minutes, but our team stayed strong throughout. Even when Cuesta went ahead, we never lost our composure. We regrouped."

Looking ahead to the showdown with third-ranked Moorpark, Krul expressed confidence in her team. "To end the first round 5-1 is great. Moorpark is 5-0, so Saturday is the showdown for first place," she said. "The team is excited. They're still locked in, working hard. We will have two days of practice and get ready for game day Saturday."

The victory improved Santa Barbara to 16-6 overall, with the Vaqueros sitting at 17th in the state rankings as of mid-January.

Santa Barbara (16-6, 5-1) hosts first-place Moorpark (19-3, 6-0) on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 5 p.m. at Robertson Gym in a battle for the top spot in the Western State Conference North Division.